Four Ways You (and Your Colleagues) Can Recharge

﻿In North America, winter is closing in on its last few weeks (at least, according to the calendar). Some of us have had mild winters, and others on the coasts have been pummeled with snowstorms.

Today in Cincinnati, Time Timer’s HQ, it’s rainy and 40 degrees F, which in my opinion is the least motivating weather possible. I want to stay under blankets all day, and for that matter, so does my dog.

Wherever you are, the end of February is a good time to revisit the new year and recharge your batteries for success. Get started with these four tips. Photo credit: Fast Company Design

1. Take a creativity break:

Give yourself and your colleagues the opportunity to flex their minds with a creative task. It could be something big, like a week-long design Sprint to develop new ideas, or something small, like instigating a daily creativity break. Create space in a conference room where you can keep adult coloring books, crossword puzzles, air clay, Soduku and other activities to stretch the mind. Add a Time Timer MOD in the room so everyone can spend 20 minutes each day working on their creative side--whatever that looks like to them. (And let’s admit some of them might just enjoy watching cat videos, and that’s OK.)

2. Stretch your legs:

It’s equally important to stretch your legs along with your minds. Suggest to your colleagues to set aside a few minutes every hour to stretch. Getting up and moving around, whether it’s a few office yoga poses, a walk to the water cooler across the building or a 2-minute dance break, will not only help prevent posture problems caused by prolonged time spent looking at a computer. It can also help everyone regain energy. Photo credit: Hailey West, Yoga Journal

3. Establish a mid-day reward:

I used to work in an office that had an afternoon drink cart during our busiest time of year. A volunteer would visit each desk with a silver cart of free beverages and snacks like granola bars, protein bars, fruit, and cookies. We felt special and known when the drink cart visited, and it helped us get through the day both physically and mentally.

How you implement a mid-day reward could look totally different and could be as simple as encouraging your team to create their own. But the point is to allow a few minutes in the middle of the work day to remind your colleagues that you care about them as people, not just as teammates. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Sometimes it could be a fun video like this one.

4. Offer a team activity:

Give your colleagues a chance to do something fun together that’s not about work. Create a March Madness pool or take an afternoon to go bowling. If there’s a movie in theaters that speaks to the work they do or would otherwise inspire them, consider a movie date. Budget tight? Host a board game party in the office and have everyone bring their favorite game.

Set aside time to care for yourself and your colleagues during the work day, and chances are you’ll see more productivity within your team, along with more smiling faces.